Written In Stone
by RoscoFan
Summary: When Rosco and Enos wind up in pursuit of a desperate criminal, Rosco's mettle is put to the test. Will his wits and his training be enough to get him and Enos through? [Warning: violence]
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm not making any money off of 'em, and I don't have any money to give ya if ya sue me. So there. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

The twin Plymouth Furies flew through the dips and ruts of Hazzard's backroads, fishtailing around turns in relentless pursuit of their prey. Two sets of sirens and lights pierced the crisp, still night air, like the baying of hounds hot on a scent .

Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane lived for adrenaline-filled hot pursuit. It was his drug of choice. This night, however, was different than most. His target was not an orange Dodge Charger. It was a Chevy and its occupant was firing at them.

The sheriff freed himself from his seatbelt and picked up his cb mic. He hailed his deputy. "Enos, ahm gonna try to get ahead of 'im again. I want you to nudge 'im from behind once I pull ahead. Then we'll see if we can box him in. You got that?"

"Yes, sir, sheriff," Enos replied.

"Oh, and take yer seatbelt off too. Ah don't know how much ammo this fella's got so you'd better be ready to do some duckin'." As Rosco leaned down to put the cb mic back, the windshield in front of him exploded in a spider web. "Jit jit!"

Out of sheer reflex, Rosco turned the wheel sharply to the right and then yanked the wheel back to the left, falling in line behind the Chevy once again. He stuck his head out the window, unable to see through the shattered windshield.

When he had steeled himself for his task, Rosco ducked his head back into the patrol car, yanked the wheel hard right, and pushed his foot to the floor. As the sheriff gunned past the Chevy, the driver slammed it sideways into the Fury. Undeterred, Rosco wrenched the wheel hard left to counter the might of the Chevy. He then pulled hard right again and slipped past to pull out in front.

"Enos! Ah'm in position!" Rosco yelled through the cb.

Enos closed the gap until he was on the Chevy's bumper. As he tried to maneuver to the side of the Chevy, the driver took evasive action and blocked him. Enos backed off and pulled right. He gunned the engine again, swerving into the back right bumper of the Chevy.

With the crunch and squeal of tearing metal, the Chevy slowly started to yaw to the left, pushed by the Fury. Seconds later, the driver lost complete control and the car spun out wildly.Almost in unison, Rosco and Enos slung their patrol cars around and boxed the Chevy in.

Rosco pulled his gun from his holster, scrambled out of the patrol car, and took refuge behind the solid engine block. Enos tried to do the same only to find that his door opened towards the Chevy. The driver was waiting for him. As Enos raised his weapon to defend himself, the driver quickly fired twice, hitting the deputy with both shots. Enos hit the ground with a sickening thud.

"Enos?" Rosco paused and waited for a response. Panic started to rise within him. "Enos?"

"Yer deputy won't answer ya, sheriff. He's dead. And you will be too, in a minute," the criminal threatened. He fired a shot that pinged off the hood to punctuate his point.

Despite the fear threatening to overtake him, Rosco popped up and squeezed off a shot towards the Chevy. His shot missed, as the criminal wasn't where Rosco expected him to be. He was busy by the other patrol car, taking Enos' gun and ammunition.

Rosco waited and listened intently for clues to the criminal's movements, peeking around his car as much as he dared. His heart pounded violently in his chest.

Several seconds later, Rosco heard the muffled sound of footsteps coming towards him. He took a deep breath and forced himself to focus. He calculated how far the man could be from his car, based on the sound. He took another deep breath and popped up to fire.

Rosco's left shoulder exploded in a spasm of fire and pain. He slumped to the ground, landing on his back. The man stared down the smoking barrel of his gun, just on the other side of the patrol car.

On the ground, Rosco fought for consciousness despite the all-consuming, searing pain in his shoulder. He struggled to breathe, as each new breath only brought renewed pain. His head tilted to the side and his gaze fell upon the still form of Enos through the space beneath the cars. "Oh, God," he cried as he shut his eyes.

"Ah, so yer a religious man, eh, sheriff?", the criminal said as he walked around the car to Rosco. "I'm glad to hear it, 'cause yer about to meet yer maker." The man raised the gun and aimed at Rosco. "Oh, and I thought you'd enjoy the irony of the fact that I'm gonna kill you with your own deputy's gun.

He cocked the hammer and fired.

Rosco awoke with such a start that he almost fell out of the booking room chair he had fallen asleep in. He quickly caught his balance and planted his feet firmly on the ground. He then slid a shaking hand down his sweat-soaked face. He took a deep shuddering breath. "That felt so real."

To be continued… cue ominous music 


	2. Chapter 2

Enos strolled into the booking room, unnoticed by his superior officer. "Howdy, Sheriff!" Enos exclaimed, his voice pitching higher at the tail end of his greeting.

The sheriff jumped at the unexpected interruption. "Doh! Enos! Don't you know not to shneak up on yer superior officer like that? What're you tryin' to do, give me a coronary?"

"Sorry, sheriff", Enos apologized. "I's just comin' in to take the night shift. It's my turn tonight."

The sheriff stared at his deputy slackjawed for a second, quickly and silently replaying the nightmare over in his mind. He saw the deputy that now stood before him laying still on the cold, hard ground. He visibly shuddered at the memory.

"Sheriff? You okay?" Enos inquired.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, Enos," the sheriff lied. "Um, I think I'll take the night shift tonight. You go on home," Rosco ordered.

"You sure, sheriff? You've had night shift the last two nights. I don't mind..."

"I'm sure, Enos. Go on home," Rosco said as he made a "shooing" motion with his hand.

Rosco figured he might as well take the night shift. After the nightmare he just had, he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anyway. If he was up, he might as well give his deputy the night off.

As Enos turned to leave, Rosco grabbed his jacket off the coat rack. He rummaged through the pockets for the keys to the patrol car before putting it on and then headed out the door.

The first hour of his patrol was uneventful. He wound his way through the streets in town, checking on the local businesses and houses around the square. After ensuring the town was secure, he headed out on the country roads towards the outskirts of town.

As he passed the Boar's Nest, he noticed the last of the night's crowd were leaving. Only Daisy's jeep and a few trucks remained in the parking lot.

Nearing Cutter Junction, Rosco noticed a low, flashing glow on the horizon. Seeing as there was supposed to be nothin' out there but countryside, the sheriff was curious. He gunned the engine a little in his haste to solve the mystery. As he wound his way through the last curves between him and the mystery, the flashing lights became familiar. There were two patrol cars with their gumballs goin' just on the other side of a stand of trees.

"What p'lice would be out here, Flash?" the sheriff asked of his hound. Flash lifted her head when she heard her name, but then set it back down and went back to snoozing. "They'd be outta their jurisdiction… unless they're state troopers."

Shock replaced curiosity as Rosco rounded the final bend. There before him were two Hazzard County patrol cars. He slammed on the brakes and shifted the car into park. Slowly, he opened the car door and stood in total disbelief. He simply could not be seeing what he was seeing, yet there it was. He strode slowly towards the twin patrol cars, curiosity pushed him forward while fear gripped him tighter with every step.

The air was deathly still. So still, Rosco swore he could hear the beating of his own heart. As he neared the first patrol car, his heart skipped a beat. He rushed forward and dropped to his knees, next to the body of his deputy. His hand shook as he reached out to touch him. In that instant, the entire grisly scene, shimmered out of existence, leaving the sheriff shivering on the cold ground.

Rosco buried his head in his hands and shuddered, reliving the nightmare once again. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't real.

In his despair, Rosco was unaware of the car bearing down on him on the dark backwoods road. The driver of the car was unaware of his presence too until it was too late to stop. He laid on the horn and the sharp notes of Dixie startled Rosco out of his trance. As the car swerved left, Rosco dove to the right, taking refuge behind his patrol car. The car slid to a stop and the occupants let out a collective breath as the dust began to settle. Rosco hesitantly peered up from under his dark Stetson and then let out a shuddering breath of his own.


	3. Chapter 3

The Duke boys scrambled out of the General Lee and over to the prone sheriff. As they kneeled next to him, Bo put a hand on his shoulder. "Rosco? What the heck are you doin' sittin' in the middle of the road, and at this late at night?"

Rosco pushed himself up to his knees and then slumped into a sitting position against the front bumper of his patrol car. He leaned his head back and tried to slow his racing heart. Through ragged breaths he shot back "What the heck… are you doin'… speedin' through here… and nearly… runnin' me over?"

The Duke boys just looked at each other when neither could reply to the sheriff's retort. "Uhhh… you ok? Here… let us help ya up," Luke offered. The two cousins stood and each offered Rosco a hand. The sheriff accepted Luke's hand and unsteadily rose to his feet, his other hand planted firmly on the hood of his patrol car to balance himself.

As Rosco dusted the dirt off of his uniform, Luke wandered over to where Rosco had been kneeling. He kicked the dirt, looking for something although he wasn't sure what. When he didn't find anything, he became more confused. He studied the lawman, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

Rosco's attention wandered from his uniform to the older Duke cousin. His gaze locked onto the ground at the spot where Luke stood. Something had happened here, of that Luke was sure. But what had happened and when, he couldn't even hazard a guess. From the haunted, distant look in the sheriff's eyes, it had to have been something bad.

Luke debated whether he should press the issue with the older man. Being unable to suppress his curiosity, he questioned the sheriff. "Rosco, what's goin' on? Something obviously happened here. What was it?"

The two cousins looked to Rosco, expecting an answer. Rosco's gaze slowly rose to meet Luke's. "You… You wouldn't believe it if I told you," he said slowly, his voice somewhat shaky. He looked to Bo, who stood next to him. "Besides, it's none of your business." Bo couldn't be sure, but the statement sounded like a warning to him.

The sheriff's defenses were up, which told Luke that they'd get no information from him, at least not til he was good and ready.

"Shouldn't you be movin' along? Or would you rather I take you two in for nearly runnin' me down?" Rosco inquired.

Luke flashed a nervous smile. "I guess we'll be movin' along then." He nudged Bo and mumbled under his breath, "C'mon, Bo."

"But Luke…" Bo responded.

"C'mon, Bo!" Luke mumbled more insistently.

Bo followed obediently. "Nighty night, Rosco…"

Luke cringed at his cousin's cheerful goodbye. He couldn't be sure, but he could swear he heard Rosco growl. He hoped maybe it was just Flash.

When the cousins had settled into their seats in the General Lee, Bo questioned his cousin. "Luke, what the heck is goin' on? Why would Rosco be kneelin' in the middle of a dirt road at 1 am?"

"How should I know? Start the General and let's get outta here before he changes his mind about runnin' us in," Luke replied.

Bo obeyed, turned the General over, and guided the Charger back onto the road towards home.

Once they rounded the first curve and Rosco was no longer in sight, Luke spoke again.

"Something happened there. Somethin' Rosco don't wanna talk about. I don't know about you, but that makes me nervous. So, we're just gonna have to find out what it is…"

Bo smiled briefly at his cousin's audacity, then inquired, "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, he wasn't exactly himself back there. He looked…"

"Disturbed? Confused? Scared? Angry?" Luke offered.

"Uh, yeah. All of the above," Bo answered.

"All the more reason to find out what's going on, Bo," Luke reasoned.

"I don't suppose you're gonna leave well enough alone, are ya?" Bo asked.

"Have ya ever known me to leave well enough alone?" Luke laughed.

"I suppose not," Bo sighed. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He trusted his cousin, but the whole incident made him uneasy.


	4. Chapter 4

Rosco scowled as the Dukes sped off. Then he let out a deep, troubled sigh. He looked around the scene, at the curve in the road, at the patrol car, at the spot on the ground where he had kneeled. At that instant, the scene that had haunted him flashed again in his mind. This was the place where it had happened, or was _going_ to happen. A shiver went down his spine and in that instant, he wanted to be anywhere but where he stood.

He shuffled over to the patrol car, closed the door, raised the window, and locked the doors. He pulled Flash towards him and hugged her close. "Flash, what's goin' on? All this just don't make any sense. First the dream and then, then… that… whatever that was. Was it a hallucination? Is your daddy goin' squirrely?"

Flash squirmed a bit, but responded to Rosco with a resounding "Woof!"

Rosco wasn't quite sure whether Flash meant "yes" or "no", but couldn't help but feel better as she squirmed again to position herself to lick his face. A measure of his anxiety melted away as he pet his beloved Flash.

After a few moments, the sheriff forced himself to scoot Flash back to the passenger side of the car and started the engine. He decided to cut his shift short for the night and headed directly home.

When he arrived home, he lugged Flash through the front door and gently set her down on the floor. She happily trotted off and lapped a drink of water from her water bowl. Rosco tossed his keys on the counter, shrugged off his jacket, and placed it and his Stetson on the coat rack. He ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair as he headed for the kitchen.

Rosco grabbed a pan, set it on the stove, and got a carton of milk from the fridge. The events of the evening once again played through his mind. He closed his eyes and shook his head, as if such an action would eradicate the memories. He poured the contents of the carton into the pan and shifted the pan in a circular motion, watching the milk swirl in a spiral. He heated the milk for a few minutes and then poured the contents into a tall glass.

He took a small sip and realized the drink was a little too hot. Looking around the kitchen, he spied a bottle of cooking sherry. He poured a generous splash of the sherry into his milk and cautiously took a swig. He made a face at the unfamiliar taste, but the temperature now suited him and he quickly finished off the rest of the drink. He then trudged up the stairs to bed. Flash hobbled up the stairs behind him with great effort, whining all the way for Rosco to pick her up and carry her.

Rosco untucked his shirt from his trousers, sat on the edge of the bed, and then fell backwards, spread eagle on his back with an audible "oof". His eyelids drooped, but he resisted the sleep that tugged at him. He thought of getting up to undress and put his pajamas on, but he just couldn't find the energy. He breathed deeply as he drifted slowly into twilight sleep. Flash, unable to jump up on to the bed next to him, settled down on the floor near Rosco's feet.

Rosco shivered, realizing the room was quite chilly. With what energy he could muster, he dragged the quilt on the bed haphazardly over himself. He started to drift off again, but suddenly had the strange feeling that he was not alone. His heart beat faster and he was afraid to open his eyes. He listened intently for movement within the room, hearing only Flash's rhythmic snoring.

_You need some time off_, he dreamily told himself. _The stress is getting to you, that's all. _The thought echoed repeatedly in his head. _The stress is getting to you, it's getting to you… That's all it is. Just the stress getting to you…_

The echo abruptly stopped and there was an eerie silence. Instantly, a grinning, malevolent visage flashed in Rosco's mind. "The stress is getting to you, sheriff!" it cackled. Rosco bolted upright, heart thundering in his chest. He gasped for breath as he quickly glanced around the room. He and Flash were alone. But that voice, it sounded like it was right there, next to his ear. That face, it was… it was his! It was the face of the desperate criminal he'd chased in his earlier dream. What was going on with him? It all had to mean something.

Wide awake and quite unsettled, the sheriff turned all the lights on and changed into his pajamas. He scooped Flash up and settled her on the bed, then climbed under the covers next to her. He curled up on his side into a fetal position, pulled the covers up under his chin, and shut his eyes tightly. He shivered, not from cold, but from pure fear. After several sleepless hours spent studying that frightful visage that had awoken him earlier, Rosco finally drifted into a fitful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Bo and Luke left the Duke Farm on a mission to find out about the previous night's events. Luke reasoned that if Rosco wouldn't talk, Enos might. They didn't have to look far, as Enos was parked at one of Rosco's favorite speed traps. The General Lee skid to a stop in front of Enos' patrol car and Bo and Luke walked to the driver's side.

Luke bent down to reach eye level with the deputy. "Hi, Enos," both cousins greeted.

"Hey Bo! Hey Luke!" Enos chimed back.

"Enos, we were just wondering… did Rosco tell you about anything that happened during his patrol last night?"

"No, Luke. I ain't seen Sheriff Rosco today. He hadn't been in to the office by the time I went out on patrol."

"Hmmm," Luke thought out loud. "Well, have you noticed Rosco acting kind of… strange?"

Enos thought for a few moments. "Well, now that you mention it, last night when I reported for night shift, Sheriff Rosco seemed kinda nervous and jumpy. He gave me the night off and took his third night shift in a row."

"Luke, I wonder if there's a connection with what happened last night," Bo replied.

Luke rubbed his chin in thought, "Could be. Enos, did Rosco leave any reports about any incidents that took place last night?"

Enos frowned, "I'm afraid not, Luke. Sheriff Rosco usually writes something in the log after every shift, even if nothing happened. There weren't any entries for last night. I'm not even sure the sheriff finished his shift."

Bo nudged Luke, "You think we should tell him about last night?"

Enos looked questioningly at the two cousins.

Luke nodded affirmatively at Bo's question. "Enos, we saw Rosco late last night. In fact, we almost ran him over."

"What?! Ran him over?!" Enos exclaimed.

"Well, he was kneeling in the middle of the road, out near Cutter Junction. It was dark and we didn't see him until the last minute," Luke explained.

"Kneeling in the middle of the road?" Enos repeated in amazement.

"Yeah, like he was looking for something. Only, there was nothing there. I know, I looked," Luke explained.

Enos sat in thought for a moment. "I dunno, Luke. That certainly is a bit strange. I'll talk to the sheriff when I see him later. I'll see what I can find out."

"Ok, thanks, Enos," Luke patted the roof of the patrol car and bid Enos goodbye. Bo bid Enos goodbye as well and the Duke cousins continued into town.

Enos watched the boys leave. When they were out of sight, Enos' thoughts turned to his commanding officer and his brow furrowed in worry.

Rosco stumbled into the office an hour late. His mind tortured by the foreboding visions of that night, he had fallen asleep only shortly before his alarm clock was set to go off. As he neared his desk, he set Flash down on the bench, shrugged off his jacket, raised it to the coat rack, and released the garment, which promptly fell to the floor. He grabbed his Stetson from his head, also moved it towards the coat rack, and released it, dropping it on top of his rumpled jacket on the floor. The sheriff yawned widely as he started brewing a fresh pot of coffee.

Rosco sipped the hot coffee as he sat down to a pile of paperwork at his desk. Rosco added an entry to the log he had forgotten to fill out the night before. It read simply "All quiet", although in Rosco's mind, it was anything but. Half expecting to see the face that had haunted him last night, Rosco leafed through the latest wanted posters. He sighed in relief when he finished the stack without seeing it. Rosco wondered who the man was. Was he a figment of his imagination? He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen the man before, perhaps when he was younger, much younger.

He had come to the realization that if the events from his strange dreams came to pass, he and Enos would be unprepared, essentially sitting ducks. Chasing the Dukes all the time and dealing with no real serious crime, he and Enos had become a little complacent. Their skills as lawmen were a tad bit rusty and Rosco knew he had to remedy that quickly.

After finishing up some overdue paperwork, Rosco called his deputies and told them to report back to the office. Both Enos and Cletus wondered what sheriff wanted, but Rosco wouldn't say. They heeded their superior officer and pointed their cruisers toward town, each wondering what was so important as to require both of them.


	6. Chapter 6

Enos and Cletus strolled into the booking room together, each greeting their superior officer as they neared his desk.

"Oh, good. You're both here," Rosco said as he cleared the top of his desk.

Cletus rocked back and forth on his heels, "Soooo, Sheriff. What do ya need both Enos n' me here for? Must be important."

Rosco looked up from rummaging around in his desk drawer. "Oh, it is, Cletus. It is."

Enos raised his eyebrows in curiosity, but left the questions he had unasked, waiting for the sheriff to continue.

Rosco turned his attention back to the desk drawer and reached into it as far as he could. He pulled out three small toy cars and arranged them on the desk in front of him.

"Umm, sheriff? What's so important about toy cars?" Cletus wondered.

"It ain't the cars that're important, Cletus. It's what we're gonna do with 'em, ya dipstick," Rosco explained.

"Oh," Cletus replied with a puzzled look on his face.

Rosco saw the puzzled look on his deputy's face and elaborated, "These cars represent our patrol cars. Ahm gonna use 'em to explain the maneuvers we're gonna practice today."

"Ooooh, maneuvers," Enos' eyes lit up.

Cletus' eyes lit up as well, "Hey! Can I be the Mach 5?"

"No, Cletus. I'm the Mach 5. You can be the Mystery Machine. Enos, you're Herbie. Khee!"

Cletus protested, "Why do you get to be the Mach 5?"

"'Cause I'm the Sheriff! Now pay attention."

Cletus frowned as the sheriff continued.

"Cletus, you'll be the desperado on the run. Me n' Enos'll be chasin' ya." Rosco arranged the cars on the desk. "Enos, I'll pull out in front of Cletus," Rosco demonstrated the maneuver, whipping the Mach 5 past the Mystery Machine after Rosco clunked the two cars together as if they were trading paint. "Now, Enos, once I get ahead, I'll radio ya to come up on Cletus' back bumper here," he pushed Herbie against the passenger side back bumper of the Mystery Machine and the van spun out.

"That's slick! Hee!" Enos exclaimed.

"Yeah, but that's not all. Pay close attention to this part, Enos," Rosco cautioned in a manner more serious than either deputy had seen in a while. "I'll whip around this way and you'll whip around that way, blockin' any escape," he demonstrated with the toy cars. "Notice, the driver side doors are away from the car in the middle. If this desperado comes out shootin', you wanna have your vee-hicle blockin' any lead headed yer way."

Enos raised his eyebrows at the mention of gunplay as he studied the miniature car chase on the desk. He looked at the grave look on the sheriff's face. _Certainly it was important to know these maneuvers, but why the sense of seriousness and urgency he felt from his superior officer?_

Cletus broke the uncomfortable silence. "Umm, Sheriff, isn't this gonna be a little dangerous? I mean, I'll be stuck in the middle there, gettin' bumped around n' all."

Rosco tried to reassure his deputy, "We'll be careful, Cletus."

Somehow, Cletus didn't feel all that reassured.

Rosco repeated the maneuver with the toy cars a few more times until he was sure his deputies understood completely. Then he ordered them to their patrol cars to follow him out to the spot they would practice.

***********************************************************************

Once they reached the stretch of road Rosco remembered from his dream, he ordered Cletus to drive on ahead as he and Enos followed. The sheriff carefully choreographed the maneuvers, barking orders to his deputies over the cb. He gently nudged Cletus' patrol car as he attempted to pass. Cletus reluctantly and cautiously followed Rosco's order to nudge back. Rosco didn't want to damage the patrol cars, but he knew he had to make this as real an experience as possible so his deputies would be ready for whatever they had to face.

Rosco pulled ahead of Cletus and swerved into his path. He radioed Enos to coordinate their movements. On his order, Enos crept up on Cletus bumper and turned into it, sending Cletus spinning. Rosco whipped his patrol car around to block the road and Enos did the same to box Cletus in. The maneuver was timed perfectly and seemed to go off without a hitch, only, Enos' door was facing Cletus' patrol car.

Rosco slammed the steering wheel in frustration. He yanked his Stetson from his head and ran a hand through his mop of hair. Unlatching the door and shoving it open with his foot, Rosco trudged over to Enos. The sheriff placed the Stetson back on his head and leaned over, resting his left arm on the driver's side windowsill. Mustering as calm a tone as possible, he inquired, "Enos, you know what you did wrong?"

"Yassir," Enos replied apologetically, unable to look his superior officer in the eyes.

"What's 'at?"

"I turned the wrong way," Enos answered.

"You know what that means?" Rosco questioned sternly.

"Uhhh…" Enos' eyes flicked up to meet Rosco's briefly, then stared straight ahead again. He was uncomfortable with the change in Rosco's usually easy going, sometimes goofy manner to the solemn and serious.

Impatient with the delay in answering, the sheriff answered his own question. He held his right hand in the shape of a gun and moved it towards his nervous deputy, "It means…" he motioned with his hand as if the hammer on the gun had fallen and the make-believe gun discharged.

"I'm dead?" Enos gulped.

Rosco nodded gravely. "Enos, you can learn to do this right. You _have_ to."

Enos nodded affirmatively. He wanted to ask why, but he knew better than to question his superior officer.

Rosco stood and his manner softened a little. He motioned to both his deputies to turn their patrol cars around and go back to the starting point. "Let's try this again."

The sheriff lowered his head and shook it in disappointment. He trudged back to his car, feeling despair trying to creep up on him. He slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door. He took a deep breath, started the car, and it kicked up gravel as he sped back down the road. He screamed past both his deputies and as he reached the original starting point, he slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel, whipping his patrol car around and coming to a dirt spraying stop in the middle of the road.

The eyes of both deputies widened at the display. They knew the sheriff meant business, but this demonstration only punctuated the point. They both maneuvered around Rosco, in single file, and turned around. Enos took up position behind the sheriff's car, while Cletus pulled ahead and parked, waiting for the sheriff's order to start again.

"Hit it, Cletus!" the sheriff's order crackled over the cb.

The deputy obeyed instantly and stood on the accelerator. The sheriff and Enos followed. They repeated the maneuver exactly as before, this time the two patrol cars slid to a stop, boxing Cletus in, with both driver's side doors facing to the outside. Seeing the successful finish, Rosco rested his forehead on the steering wheel and whispered a barely audible "Thank you."

Both deputies stared at their superior officer. Seeing his bowed head, they silently wondered if they'd somehow screwed up again. They both smiled in relief when they saw Rosco raise his head and grin.

The sheriff hit the top of the steering wheel in triumph and kicked open the car door. He walked in between Cletus' and Enos' patrol cars and rested his hands on the windowsills of both. Leaning down, he looked at Cletus, then to Enos. "_That's_ the way to do it." He pointed at Enos, "Remember that." Enos nodded. Rosco stood up and again motioned the two deputies back to the starting point. "Let's try it again. Practice makes perfect."

With smiles of satisfaction on their faces, the deputies turned around and headed back down the road again.


End file.
